Semi-finished semiconductor devices are rinsed in a volatile liquid selected from the alcohol group represented by isopropyl alcohol or a non-volatile liquid represented by water. After being rinsed the objects are dried in a high-purified gas such as high-pure nitrogen, a heated air stream or a vacuum enclosure, or by exposing to infrared rays or far-infrared rays, or by means of a spinner.
In carrying out these drying methods it is difficult that rinsed objects be protected against oxidization, thermal destruction or contamination. Still disadvantageously the initial cost and running cost are overly large.
In case use is made of an easily volatile hydrophilic rinse such as isopropyl alcohol it takes much time to complete drying. Still disadvantageously the quantities of isopropyl alcohol to be spent in rinsing is so large that a nuisance may be caused to the neighborhood.
In case heat or ultraviolet rays are used, it takes so much time to complete drying, also. Rinsed objects while being dried, therefore, are apt to collect dust particles, and the water remaining on the objects allow them to oxidize on the surfaces.
The spin-drying is not effective enough to completely dry rinsed objects, allowing a small quantity of water to remain on the objects, thereby expediting the undesired oxidization. Also, disadvantageously complicated control is required, and it takes much time to finish drying.
In every and each drying process a high-purity nitrogen gas is used to prevent the undesired oxidization, which, however, adds an increased amount to the running cost. All the drying processes cannot meet the tendency of rinsed objects increasing in size.
In view of the above one object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed drying apparatus which is capable of quickly removing the remaining rinsing liquid from the surfaces of rinsed objects, and efficiently drying them while protecting against oxidization.
To attain this object according to the present invention, first, the remaining rinsing liquid is substantially removed from the surfaces of rinsed objects, although permitting a very small quantity of rinsing liquid to remain thereon, and then the complete removal of the still remaining rinse from the objects immediately follows by putting them in the super drying circumstances.